Had been to Dubai for a week. City and the country waking up from the ‘slumber’ of recession. Before the recession, one in every four cranes of the world worked here. All stopped for two years. A third of them have started working again. Good to see that.
Had good fun meeting Indian origin people, talking to them. Some are recounted here.
Thumbay Moiuddin, some half a century ago, came in as a small time timber merchant into UAE (that time no UAE, only Emirates). Rose up. Had ambition. Befriended the Ruler of Ajman, one of the emirates. Set up a medical college. And, NOW, the President of the quality institute, Gulf Medical University, with several hospitals attached, and a leading light of the Indian Diaspora in the Gulf. Enjoyed attending his Convocation and having dinner plus interacting with him. Patience, Humility, Focus, Strategy, Execution and Team-building…. Keys to his success.
Met with Mr Rajiv Kakar, Managing Director of Dunia financial services and Director with the Singapore based Fullerton group (investment bankers). Aged below 50 years, awarded many times, made a success story of Dunia amidst worldwide recession which hit Middle East badly, is into CSR activities in education and health in a big way, very positive about India though sad about corruption and watching the nation’s fight against it closely. Has taken risks, and has reaped benefits too. Learnt again: Live your Life, take chances, be crazy. Don’t wait.. coz right now is the oldest you’ve ever been & the youngest you’ll be ever again..
A self made media entrepreneur, Amit Pateria from Jabbalpur, Pattu for us, now a big guy in Dubai owning Filmfare rights in Middle East, had his birthday, and we six guys, minus any woman, had a bachelors’ day out in the middle of the night at the famous Paki restaurant RAVI Restaurant. We went after a few pegs at Pattu’s superb residence which has a world class toilet where you feel like having a cup of tea, and enjoyed fullest at Ravi’s our share of …Peshawari mutton and bheja fry, daal fry and roti, et al. And a generous dose of nostalgic music before that. Manjilein apni jagah hain, raastein apni jagah… Fir wohi raat hain, raat hain pyaar ki… Merey dil mein aaj kya hain, tu kahey to main bataa du…. Three big guys above 38 years, three young guys below 26 years. What a fun man! Cheers to life… Live life out of happiness, not for happiness!
Saw Mahim Junction, a Hinglish play by Katyayani group, in Indian Consulate Hall in Dubai tonight, which was a musical spoof on Bollywood of the cool sixties and suave seventies, replete with film songs of our childhood…Jhootboley kauwa kaatey, Roop tera mastana, Fulon ka taaron ka sabka kehna hai, and some ten more songs… Good fun, comic exposure of politics, bollywood, crime in society, and upholding Hindu-Muslim romance, albeit in the loud filmy style, trying to resurrect Hindi cinema on stage…. The man who played the eunuch’s role was the hit of the evening, an actor named Avikal, so true to his name. Had the highest catcalls. I failed trying to make one! The play was a tribute to the Indian community in Dubai by SK Exchange founder.
Had a superb multi-cuisine cocktail dinner in the first night in Dubai this time, at the exquisite lakeside villa of entrepreneur Ashok Kalyanpur at Lakes in Dubai. Along with some 100 top Indian professionals and entrepreneurs, mainly from the banking and finance sector. Thanks surely to the Acore Chairman Sudhakar Murthy. Indians indeed are a big and strong professional group here. Hope some of them plan to invest in developing Resourceful Humans back in India! Makes business sense too. They say take the plunge where the pool is big! And nothing can be bigger than our own homeland!
